GROßE KRUEZER

The Shell Magnet - SMS Seydlitz

Ship's Crest

Though outwardly similar to the Moltke-class, SMS Seydlitz was built with a longer but slimmer hull
than Moltke and with greater compartmentation and armor - her belt armor was on par with contemporary battleships. A raised forecastle made
her a drier boat than her predecessors, but like them she mounted the tried and true 280mm (11") gun in 50 caliber. By this time her British adversaries
were mounting 13.5"/45-cal guns, leaving Seydlitz undergunned for her size. At the Battle of Dogger Bank she took a pair of shells aft that detonated
near the aft two turrets, putting them out of action and killing their crews. Only with luck and prompt damage control was a catastrophic explosion averted.
In return Seydlitz damaged HMS Lion so severely that she had to be towed home. But the lesson was taken to heart by the entire German Navy and
improved ammunition handling procedures instituted to ensure such a hit could not threaten an entire vessel. At Jutland Seydlitz was in the thick
of it again, credited (with SMS Derfflinger) with sinking HMS Queen Mary. With hits from 21 shells 12" or larger and one torpedo, she limped
home with more than 5,300 TONS of water sloshing in her hull, to the extent her bow had less than 2.5m (8 ft) of freeboard foreward when she pulled into port.

After finishing her design the German navy finally got around to building their battlecruisers in quantity instead of one's and two's while upgrading
to the 305mm (12")/50-cal gun, unfortunately by the time the first of the Derfflinger-class had been commissioned,
the war had begun.

PHOTOS

Plans and Construction

Line Drawing - Top and Side Views (Koop)
Line Drawing - Side View (Koop)
Line Drawing - Top View (Koop)
Line Drawing - Side View - 1918 (Greger)
Line Drawing - Side View - 1918 (Gröner)
Armor Plan